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: UPENG/2007/19688
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Editorial: More ‘Neutral’ Agri exports fall 9% to $43.7B during Apr-Feb Court directs AIIMS to constitute medical board to examine Kejriwal
INDIA bloc making one year-one Can’t question EVMs
PM formula to destroy country: PM solely on suspicion:SC
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Wednes-
day said the INDIA bloc is
mulling a one-year prime
minister formula as they
could not reach any consen-
sus on one prime minister
face -- citing news reports.
Addressing a public meet-
ing in Madhya Pradesh's
Betul, Modi said while he
has been working on the
first 100-day work after
coming to power, the op-
position alliance does not
even have a PM face. "The
country should know who is
their PM face. On our side,
you have Modi in front of
you, with a track report of
10 years. The opposition
looked for a PM face, but
could not find one. Now
some media reports said
they are discussing one-
year-one PM formula which
means five prime ministers
SHOPKEEPER DETAINED
FOR ALLEGEDLY
SERVING BIRYANI ON
PLATE WITH LORD
RAM’S IMAGE
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police
had briefly detained an
eatery owner following a
complaint that he had sold
biryani on disposable plates
purportedly having a picture
of Lord Ram on them in
northwest Delhi’s Jahangir-
puri, officials said on Tues-
day. During investigations,
it was found that the shop-
keeper had bought 1000
plates from a factory and
only four of them had a pic-
ture of Lord Ram printed on
them, a police officer said.
“He told us that he was not
aware about the Lord Ram’s
pic on the plates, which
was also verified by the
factory owners,” the officer
said. The shopkeeper was
detained was detained un-
der IPC sections 107/151
(preventive detention) and
later allowed to go, he said
adding the plates were also
seized.
MURDER SUSPECT HELD
AFTER GUNFIGHT WITH
COPS NEAR NOIDA
NOIDA: A 23-year-old man
wanted in a murder case
was arrested near Noida
after a gunfight with the
police during which he suf-
fered injuries, officials said
on Tuesday. The accused
carried a reward of Rs
25,000 on his arrest. He and
his associates had alleged-
ly shot dead a liquor sales-
man in Greater Noida’s New
Haibatpur village on March
31 after he denied them al-
cohol around midnight, ac-
cording to police.
MCD ATTEMPTS TO
INCREASE VOTER
COUNT
NEW DELHI: The Munic-
ipal Corporation of Delhi
has intensified its efforts
to increase voting percent-
age in the upcoming Lok
Sabha elections, to ensure
a higher voting percentage
which yields a healthier de-
mocracy.
ucknow news
VOL. 18 | ISSUE NO: 233 | Thursday, 25 April 2024 | DAILY MORNING | Page 4 | Price Rs 1.00
in five years. What will hap-
pen to the country?" Modi
asked.
"This means they are now
auctioning the PM's chair.
One person will sit in the
chair. And four others will
wait for his term to end.
This sounds like Mungeri-
lal ke haseen sapne (day-
dreaming) but this is not
'haseen'. This is a very scary
proposal which will destroy
the country. This will shatter
all your dreams," the prime
minister said. Lok Sabha
Nitin Gadkari faints during election rally in
Maharashtra, provides update on his health
OUR CORRESPONDENT
MAHARASHTRA: Union
minister and BJP leader Ni-
tin Gadkari on Wednesday
afternoon fainted during an
election rally in Maharash-
tra's Yavatmal district.
In a video doing rounds on
social media, the union min-
ister can be seen to be dizzy
and unconscious as he was
being carried away by the
people on stage. Some of
the BJP leaders can also be
heard calling for doctors.
Shortly after the incident,
Gadkari provided an update
on his health saying that he
felt uncomfortable due to
the heat during the rally.
“Now I am completely
healthy and am leaving for
Varud to attend the next
Congress leader behind manifesto counters Woman, 21, dies by suicide after her
Modi's claim: ‘Point out one paragraph’ kin kill her husband in hate crime
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: Senior Con-
gress leader P Chidam-
baram challenged Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
on Wednesday to identi-
fy a “single paragraph” in
his party's manifesto that
could be construed as fa-
voritism towards any spe-
cific group.
"Ask him (PM Narendra
Modi) to point out one
paragraph in the mani-
festo which will lead to
the conclusion that we
are appeasing any sec-
tion," the former finance
minister, who chaired the
Congress's committee on
manifesto, said.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's recent statement
during a rally in Rajas-
than, suggesting that the
Congress manifesto advo-
cates for the redistribution
of wealth to Muslims, has
election 2024:
Full coverage Ahead of
the second phase of the
voting on April 26, the bat-
tle has become intense
with PM Modi claiming that
Congress said in its mani-
festo that it would "snatch"
wealth and redistribute --
which has been dismissed
by the Congress.
"Babasaheb Ambedkar
was against religion-based
reservation. Our Constitu-
tion makers brainstormed
and concluded that a reli-
meeting. Thank you for your
love and good wishes,” he
wrote on X, formerly known
as Twitter.
Gadkari, who fought the
elections in the first phase
of voting as BJP's candidate
from Nagpur Lok Sabha
seat, was campaigning for
Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena
leader Rajashree Patil in Ya-
stirred significant political
controversy.
In response, Chidam-
baram defended the Con-
gress manifesto and said:
“We recognise there is
social division, social in-
equality, and economic in-
equality in this country.
The most affected peo-
ple are SCs, STs, and the
poor irrespective of reli-
gion... If bringing justice to
every section of society is
considered appeasement,
then so be it.”
gion-based quota was not
possible. But Congress al-
ways wanted to snatch the
quota from SC/ST/OBCs
and give it to its favourite
vote bank. When the Con-
gress was in the Centre,
it started a religion-based
quota in Andhra Pradesh.
It was not successful but
they are still in that game.
In Karnataka, they tried to
steal the OBC quota and
made all Muslims OBCs,"
Modi said.
"In their manifesto, Con-
gress talked about reli-
gion-based reservation.
Recently, Telangana chief
minister has specifically
said he would give reserva-
tions to Muslims. They can
go to any extent to appease
their votebank," Modi said.
Reiterating the "wealth
distribution" issue, Naren-
dra Modi said if someone
has more than one car,
motorcycle or one house,
vatmal's Pusad. Addressing
the rally, the union minister
said, “I am confident that the
people of Yavatmal district,
which has a constant tenden-
cy towards development, will
give victory to the BJP-Maha
alliance, which believes in all-
round development.”
“While moving towards a
developed India, under the
Chidambaram said that
there is widespread rec-
ognition of the Congress
manifesto across India, in-
cluding the remote villag-
es of Tamil Nadu, claiming
that the BJP manifesto
has no traction.
"BJP manifesto's van-
ished without a trace with-
in 2 hours. Nobody talks
about it because there
is nothing in it... Modi ki
guarantee cannot be the
manifesto of a political
party, therefore he (PM
then the Congress will take
the extra one through law.
"If you have a house in the
village and another in the
city, the Congress will take
one so that it can distribute
that among its 'khaas' log.
They want to do an x-ray of
the country. They will inves-
tigate how much jewellery
our mothers have. They will
come up with a scheme to
snatch mangalsutra. Con-
gress leaders are openly
saying this," the prime min-
ister said.
"Another example of how
the Congress wants to loot
the country has surfaced to-
day. A Congress leader who
is also the advisor of the
shahzade said inheritance
tax should be introduced
in India. This means that
the Congress would snatch
half of the property of your
grandparents, and parents.
Will you allow that?" Modi
said.
leadership of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, significant
work has been done in the
last 10 years in the areas
of roads and highways as
well as education, health,
and other sectors across the
country. Various schemes of
the central government were
successfully extended to the
rural areas. Due to this, along
with the city, the people of
the rural areas are also able
to benefit from many import-
ant facilities,” he wrote in a
post on X.
The Yavatmal constituency
along with Buldhana, Akola,
Amravati, Wardha, Hingoli,
Nanded, and Parbhani in
Maharashtra are scheduled
to vote in the second phase
of the Lok Sabha election on
April 26.
Modi) is envious of the
Congress manifesto which
has become the talking
point, and hence he is tar-
nishing the Congress man-
ifesto. I would urge him to
first read our manifesto,"
he said.
PM Narendra Modi
launched a scathing at-
tack on the Congress on
Tuesday, accusing them of
attempting to extend res-
ervation based on religion
to favour Muslims.
He reiterated his alle-
gation that the party is in-
volved in a "deep conspira-
cy" to redistribute people's
wealth among specific
groups.
In his criticism, Modi
also claimed that it's chal-
lenging to practice one's
faith freely under Congress
rule, suggesting that even
listening to the Hanuman
Chalisa becomes a crime
under their governance.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Supreme
Court on Wednesday em-
phasised that the Election
Commission of India (ECI),
a separate constitutional
authority, is responsible for
overseeing election man-
agement, adding it cannot
issue orders that question
the efficacy of Electronic
Voting Machines (EVMs)
and its integration with the
Voter Verified Paper Audit
Trails (VVPATs) based sole-
ly on suspicions or private
reports.
A bench of justices San-
jiv Khanna and Dipankar
Datta added that it cannot
do much if the petitioners
-- who demanded 100%
cross-verification of votes
cast on EVMs with VVPATs
or going back to the ballot
paper system -- were “al-
ready prejudiced”.
“We can’t control the
elections. We are not the
controlling authority of
some other constitutional
authority. If there are is-
sues, there are laws to deal
with them. The judgment of
this court (in 2013) direct-
ed them to use VVPAT and
they complied... Where is
the direction of the court to
match all slips? The court
later said 5 (EVM-VVPAT
matching in 2019) and they
have followed our order. Let
someone from those 5 say
there have been mismatch-
es. Can we issue a manda-
mus on the basis of suspi-
cion?” the bench asked.
It pointed out that the top
court had intervened on
two occasions in the past.
“At the first instance, this
court asked them (ECI) to
use VVPAT, and then the
verification of EVMs with
VVPAT was increased from
1 to 5 [in every assembly
segment]. When we asked
you (petitioners) for sugges-
tions, we were told to go
back to the ballot system...
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old
woman allegedly died by
suicide in Chennai, two
months after her brother re-
portedly killed her husband
in a suspected case of hate
crime over their inter-caste
marriage, police said.
“The woman, who was
living with her in-laws, at-
tempted suicide on April 20
and was rushed to the Rajiv
Gandhi Government Gener-
al Hospital in Chennai. She
died during her treatment
around 7pm on April 22,”
a senior police officer from
the Tambaram commis-
sionerate said, requesting
anonymity. “No suicide note
has been found.”
The woman, who was
pursuing an engineering
course, married a 22-year-
old Dalit man in October
2023. Her family, who be-
longed to the Vanniyar com-
R.N.I. Reg. No.
We will see what is needed
to strengthen the current
system,” the court said.
“If you are already deter-
mined about it, we can’t
help it. We aren’t here to
change your thought pro-
cess... There has been no
hacking detected till date.
The report you are relying
on says that there is no
incident of hacking yet,”
the bench told advocate
Prashant Bhushan, who
appeared for non-profit As-
sociation for Democratic
Reforms (ADR).
According to Bhushan,
the micro-controllers in
EVMs contain a flash
memory, and therefore are
amenable to reprogram-
ming or malicious malware.
Bhushan’s “doubts” over
the security of EVMs came
through after the court
heard a senior ECI official
who was called upon to
address specific queries
regarding the micro-con-
trollers and other security
features embedded in the
voting machines.
On Wednesday morning,
the bench had asked senior
counsel Maninder Singh,
representing ECI, to ensure
the presence of an official
at 2pm who could answer
its queries on the functions
of the micro-controller in-
stalled in EVMs, the secu-
rity of EVMs and VVPATs,
and the maximum period
for which the machines are
retained after polling.
The court had also clar-
ified that the EVM source
munity, an Other Backward
Classes (OBC) caste, was
opposed to their inter-caste
marriage, police said.
On February 25, the wom-
an’s elder brother, along
with his four aides, killed
her husband in Pallikara-
nai.
All five have been arrest-
ed and booked under Sec-
tion 302 (murder) of the
Indian Penal Code and rele-
vant sections of the Sched-
uled Caste and Scheduled
Tribe (Prevention of Atroci-
code cannot be disclosed
owing to the fear of its mis-
use. “That should never be
disclosed. It will become
a problem. People will try
and misuse it,” the bench
remarked after senior
counsel Santhosh Paul, ap-
pearing for one of the peti-
tioners, made a mention
EVM source codes.
Senior deputy election
commissioner Nitesh Vyas,
who on a previous date as-
sisted the court about the
technical specifications,
testing processes and se-
curity measures associated
with EVMs, came before
the court at 2pm and pro-
vided detailed explanations
regarding the functioning
and security measures of
EVMs.
The officer sought to ad-
dress concerns raised by
petitioners on the integrity
of the electoral process and
the susceptibility of EVMs
to tampering, saying that
the micro-controllers were
programmable only once.
He added that these pro-
grammes are destroyed at
the time of manufacturing
the machines and cannot
be accessed in any form
later. According to Vyas,
the control unit, ballot unit
and VVPATs are sealed in
the presence of the polling
agents of candidates and
kept secure for at least 45
days after which ECI offi-
cials enquire from the high
court concerned over the
pendency of election peti-
tions.
ties) Act, police said.
The woman had demand-
ed strict action against
other members of her fam-
ily, including her parents,
whom she believed had
abetted the murder, the se-
nior officer said.
“We will record state-
ments of the parents of the
couple. She has already
given a statement that her
brother could have acted
based on her parents’ in-
structions,” the officer add-
ed.
2 Lucknow, Thursday, 25 April 2024 Lucknow News (English Daily)

Worry Stagnation
EDITORIAL
More ‘neutral’
We know that young people are spearheading the climate
conversation. Their activism and thirst for better education
is bolstered by the increasingly hyper-digital and inclusive
community space that they inhabit, positioning them at
the forefront of the fight to protect indigenous lands and EVEN AS POLITICAL PARTIES ARE COURTING THE INCREASINGLY INFLUENTIAL WOMEN VOTER SEGMENT BY DOLING
cultures and disrupt the longstanding erosion of biodiver-
sity and sustainability created by humans. We see a real OUT WELFARE SCHEMES, LIMITED EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO ENHANCE THEIR REPRESENTATION IN PARLIAMENT
opportunity for museums to engage with this youth-led With the Lok Sabha elec-
movement. To ask questions, use their collective voice tions 2024 underway, one
and power and invite young people in so that they truly major phenomenon is quite
feel part of a bigger sense of change - and are able to see noticeable — the women
cultural institutions as central to this dialogue. voters are being wooed
Through our recent research with UKRI, Mindsets for by all the political parties.
the Museums of the Future, we have been speaking to a What is the reason behind
far-reaching and diverse range of museum curators and this not so sudden love and
professionals, all of whom recognise climate as a key con- affection for the female
versation that they need to step into. As Curating Tomor- folk?
row points out, ‘There are around 55,000 museums in the Well, it is in the numbers
world, their impact is probably comparable to that of a small silly! If one looks at the multi-
(possibly not so small) country.’ But how should museums ple welfare schemes offered
present their thinking? How can they have impact within by various political parties to
the fast-paced virtual spaces that young audiences inhabit? the women electorate, one
Dr. Alex Burch, Head of Public Programmes at the Natural can easily decipher the mo-
History Museum, tells us, ‘We need to use the local to think tive behind the largesse.
about the global; bringing personal meaning to people to In the recent past, political
help them understand larger, complex interconnected sys- parties in India have started
tems.’ Shaktikanta Das, Governor of the Reserve Bank of wooing women voters but
India (RBI), in his statement on the Monetary Policy Com- some parties have done bet-
mittee report released on April 5, ter than the others. It all start-
said: “Two years ago, around this Owing to the impact ed with Amma, the former
time, when CPI [consumer price of erratic weather Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,
index] inflation had peaked at on food prices, J Jayalalithaa, the mother of
7.8 per cent in April 2022, the el- climate change can welfare schemes. She intro-
ephant in the room was inflation. potentially impact duced a 50 per cent subsidy
The elephant has now gone inflation, posing risks for women to buy scooters,
out for a walk and appears to be to economic stability gold for women getting mar-
returning to the forest. We would and poverty alleviation ried, maternity assistance,
like the elephant to return to the efforts globally; maternity leave and many
forest and remain there on a 75 poor and least other schemes for women
durable basis. In other words, it developed countries voters.
is essential, in the best interest lose, on average, And even now the wom-
of the economy, that CPI infla- 1.3 per cent of their en voters of Tamil Nadu say
tion continues to moderate and GDP annually due to nobody can match Amma
aligns to the target on a durable natural disasters when it comes to bestowing
basis. Till this is achieved, our endless freebies to them. At present, the 17th Lok Sabha has 542 members, out of which only 78 (15 per cent) are women
task remains unfinished.” In its latest report, RBI says that DMK’s financial support of voters. Over the years, there their due share on socio-eco- increased from 5 per cent achieved before 2063, re- and diverse set of issues in
despite all parameters showing positive trends on inflation Rs 1,000 to eligible women has been a steady rise in the nomic fronts and should be in the first Lok Sabha to 15 ports unwomen.org. A few the decisionmaking process,
trajectory, food price uncertainties (read high food prices) and free rides in state-owned number of women voters in a harbinger of harmonised per cent in the current Lok political parties had tried ear- which is bound to usher in an
are causing high overall inflation. And the erratic weather is buses cannot hold a candle this country. growth. Washington Post, Sabha, the rate of growth of lier to improve women’s rep-
the reason why food supply is being disrupted, adding to the to Amma’s generosity! Oth- In a democracy, the ma- in an article dated April 18, women Parliamentarians resentation in Parliament, India, as one of the largest
high price rise. “Frequent and overlapping adverse climate er political parties, realising jority always has an edge. said the emergence of the hardly calls for celebration. without much success. importers of gold, needs
shocks pose key upside risks to the outlook on international that welfare schemes spe- The political parties have, women voters marks a curi- Compare this globally with The Constitution Amend- to be cautious about the
and domestic food prices,” Das said, adding that increas- cially targeting women con- naturally, devised a slew of ous divergence between In- other countries, and one no- ment (106th Amendment) adverse impacts of rising
ingly central banks across the world are factoring climate stituency is bearing a rich div- schemes solely targeting the dia and other democracies. tices that very few have done Act 2023, passed on 21st gold prices
into monetary policies. The metaphorical “elephant”, thus, idend, quickly followed suit. women electorate. An SBI It also speaks about the well. September 2023, reserves inclusive and wider viewpoint
is not just inflation but also climate change. It is well accept- From BJP’s Pradhan Man- research paper predicts that broader social changes un- Only six countries have 50 onethird of all seats for wom- in policy formulation and gov-
ed that weather is a key determinant in the food produc- tri Ujwala Yojana (making from 2029 onwards, years derway in India, where wom- per cent or more women in en in the Lok Sabha, State ernance.
tion cycle. But the RBI Governor’s statement is a convincing clean cooking fuel available will witness women voters en in particular have increas- Parliament in single or low- legislative assemblies, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, af-
pointer to the centrality of erratic climate in the contempo- to rural and deprived house- outpacing men voters deci- ingly voted independently er houses: Rwanda (61 per the Legislative Assembly of ter losing the 2016 US Pres-
rary economy. To regulate inflation—the “task”, like he has hold), MP Mukhya Mantri La- sively in all elections, with from their husbands and be- cent), Cuba (53 per cent), Nic- the National Capital Territory idential Elections to Donald
mentioned—there must be certainty of food production (as dli Behna Scheme (making 2047 culminating in a 55 come a highly sought-after aragua (52 per cent), Mexico of Delhi, including those re- Trump, said in her conces-
per expected quantity) to meet the demand. But the cli- women financially indepen- per cent to 45 per cent ratio electorate of their own. Now, (50 per cent), New Zealand served for SCs and STs. The sion speech, “Now I know
mate change-induced erratic weather shocks are having dent), TMC’s Laxmi’s Bhan- of women to men voters. let us look at women’s repre- (50 per cent), and the United reservation will be effective we have still not shattered
wide impacts on countries. “The after-effects of climate dar (basic income support to In 2014, the voter turnout sentation in the Lok Sabha Arab Emirates (50 per cent). after the publication of the the hardest and the highest
change might weaken the transmission of monetary poli- women head of the family), was 55 crores, of which 26 and Rajya Sabha. The picture Even Bangladesh (21 per census conducted following glass ceiling but someday
cy actions to financing conditions faced by households and Kanyashree (to improve the crores were women. In 2019, is not so rosy when it comes cent) and Pakistan (20 per the Act’s commencement someone will and hopefully
firms,” warns the RBI’s Monetary Policy Report 2024. An status and well-being of the the voter turnout further to sharing of political power cent) are ahead of India in and endures for a 15-year sooner than we might think
agricultural household losing income due to erratic weather girl child) to BJD ’s Mukhya- increased to 62 crores, of with women, and equality is matters of female represen- period, with potential exten- right now.”
events will be spending less as well. If the shock is regular, mantri Mahila Sashakti- which 30 crores were wom- a long way off. At present, tation. sion determined by parlia- Thankfully, for India, that
the overall income will also decline proportionately, push- karan Yojana (financial as- en. In 2024, the researchers the 17th Lok Sabha has 542 A further 23 countries mentary action. This legisla- glass ceiling was broken by
ing the household into poverty. This, in turn, will precipitate sistance to women self-help project total voter turnout at members, out of which only have reached or surpassed tion is a classic example of Indira Gandhi and there are
poverty among those who depend on agriculture and other group), Biju Kanya Ratna the current rate of polling to 78 (15 per cent) are women. 40 per cent, including 13 too little, too late. many strong women leaders
related vocations that interact with climatic situations more Yojana (girls’ development touch 68 crores, of which Rajya Sabha has 224 mem- countries in Europe, six in Af- When it comes to giving who made it on their own
directly. This is true not just for an agricultural household in education and health), are women voters could be at 33 bers, out of which only 24 rica, three in Latin America ticket to women members of steam, who can be role mod-
but also for countries that are predominantly agrarian. The all sops to court the special crores (49 per cent). MPs are women. and the Caribbean, and one a political party, there is visi- els for young girls who want
World Bank’s recent report, “The Great Reversal: Prospects, constituency of the women In 2029, it is projected There are only 6 women in in Asia. Globally, there are ble reluctance. to pursue politics.
Risks, and Policies in International Development Associa- electorate. that total voter turnout at the ministerial positions. Among 22 countries in which wom- The reason often cited is Leaders like Sushma
tion Countries”, estimates that 75 countries—poor and least The other political par- current rate of polling will parties with more than 10 en account for less than 10 lack of winnability of women Swaraj, Mamata Banerjee,
developed countries, mostly “eligible for grants and zero ties are not far behind. In touch 73 crores, of which seats in Lok Sabha, 42 per per cent of parliamentarians candidates. It is a well-known Mayawati, Smriti Irani, Nir-
to low-interest loans from the World Bank’s International its election manifesto, Con- women voters at 37 crores cent of BJD MPs and 39 per in single or lower houses, fact that an inclusive and di- mala Sitharaman and many
Development Association (IDA)—lose, on average, 1.3 per gress has also promised in- could be outstripping reg- cent of TMC MPs are wom- including one lower cham- verse legislature, which has more are just a few exam-
cent of their GDP annually due to natural disasters. And the creased welfare incentives istered men voters at 36 en. In Rajya Sabha, 17 per ber with no woman at all At a significant representation ples. Perhaps, that day may
losses are increasing while the number of extreme weather for women. Almost all major crores (>50 per cent). The cent of INC MPs are women. the current rate of progress, of women parliamentarians/ not be far away when India
events has doubled in the last decade. More than one-fifth political parties have special inflection point would be a Albeit women’s repre- gender parity in national legislators, is more likely to will have many more women
of the population in these countries was living in extreme schemes targeting women testimony of women getting sentation in Lok Sabha has legislative bodies will not be bring in a broad, inclusive in the Parliament.

Tent compound rises in Gaza as Israel ready

poverty in 2023, which is over 800 per cent of the average
in the rest of the world. These countries had 651 million
food-insecure populations in 2023, which is nearly double
of the figure for 2019. While the report attributes many oth-
er factors to the static development in the IDA countries,
climate change-related losses and challenges have been Satellite photos analysed by
identified as add-ons to this dire situation. This is because The Associated Press appear
most of their economy is agrarian, and, thus, highly vulnera- to show a new compound of
ble to climatic shocks. What these assessments bring out is tents being built near Khan
widely expected. But climate change entering the realm of Younis in the southern Gaza
formal economic policy-making, that too of central banks’, Strip as the Israeli military
is an acceptance of the crisis as well as a warning of how it continues to signal it plans
could disrupt the global economy. an offensive on the city of
Rafah. Khan Younis has
been targeted by repeated
Israeli military operations
over recent weeks. Israel
has said it plans to evacuate
civilians from Rafah during
an anticipated offensive on
the southern city, where hun-
dreds of thousands of peo-
ple have taken refuge during
the war, now in its seventh
month. The military said it
was not involved in the tent
construction. On Monday,
a failed rocket strike was
launched at a base housing
US-led coalition forces at
Rumalyn, Syria, marking the
first time since February 4
that Iranianbacked militias
have attacked a US facility
in Iraq or Syria, a US defence
official said.
No personnel were injured
in the attack, and no group
has claimed responsibility.
The conflict has sparked re-
gional unrest pitting Israel
and the US against Iran and
allied militant groups across
the Middle East. Israel and
Iran traded fire directly this
month, raising fears of all-
out war.
The war was sparked by
the unprecedented October
7 raid into southern Israel in
which Hamas and other mil-
itants killed around 1,200
people, mostly civilians, and
abducted around 250 hos-
tages.
Israel says militants are
still holding around 100
hostages and the remains
of more than 30 others. The
Israel-Hamas war has killed
more than 34,000 Palestin-
ians, according to local health
officials, around twothirds of
them children and women. It
has devastated Gaza’s two
largest cities and left a swath
of destruction.
Around 80 per cent of the
territory’s population have
fled to other parts of the be-
sieged coastal enclave. The
US House of Representatives
approved a USD 26 billion aid
package on Saturday that in-
cludes around USD 9 billion
in humanitarian assistance
for Gaza, which experts say
is on the brink of famine, as
well as billions for Israel.
The US Senate could pass
the package as soon as
Tuesday, and President Joe
Biden has promised to sign it
immediately.
The United Nations’ human
rights chief is renewing a
warning against a largescale
Israeli offensive in the city of those responsible would be population trapped in Ra-
Rafah and decrying recent Is- held accountable,” his office fah.” Israel has carried out
raeli strikes on the city. Volk- said in a statement. neardaily air raids on Rafah,
er Türk, the UN high commis- Türk deplored three strikes where more than half of Ga-
sioner for human rights, said in Rafah in recent days that za’s population of 2.3 million
that a large incursion into Ra- reportedly killed mostly has sought refuge. It has also
fah “would risk more deaths, women and children. He vowed to expand its ground
injuries and displacement on said that “the world’s leaders offensive against the Hamas
a large scale – even further stand united on the impera- militant group to the city on
atrocity crimes, for which tive of protecting the civilian the border with Egypt.
Lucknow News (English Daily) Lucknow, Thursday, 25 April 2024 3

‘K’taka & Guj lead clean energy transition race’

InBrief
EASEMYTRIP UNVEILS EASY SUMMERSALE WITH
UNBEATABLE DISCOUNTS ON TRAVEL BOOKINGS
NEW DELHI: EaseMyTrip.com, one of India's leading
online travel tech platforms, has announced the Easy OUR CORRESPONDENT ipation and strengthening ity transition,” the report’s perform well in the “Read-
SummerSale, a special summer sale that promises ex- their distribution compa- contributing author, Vibhuti iness and Performance of
tensive discounts across a wide range of travel services. NEW DELHI: Karnataka nies. Garg, Director, South Asia, the Power Ecosystem” and
Scheduled from April 23rd to April 27th2024, this sale is and Gujarat continue to The report launch coin- IEEFA, said. “Market Enablers” dimen-
designed to give travellers an extra dose of adventure lead the race to clean en- cides with a spell of intense While the national-level sions but need to improve
with irresistible deals on flights, hotels, bus tickets, cab ergy transition, but states heat wave sweeping parts progress towards electrici- in the “Decarbonisation”
rentals, and holiday packages. To access these amaz- like Jharkhand, Bihar, West of India, leading to the Min- ty transition is progressing dimension.
ing discounts, customers can make use of the coupon Bengal and Uttar Pradesh istry of Power preparing for well, it is far more uneven “Delhi’s power system
code EMTSUMMER when booking through the EaseMy- need to step up efforts, ac- a projected peak power at the state level. is well-prepared for decar-
Trip app or website. Additionally, by booking with select cording to a new report re- demand of 260 gigawatts. “Some states have de- bonisation, while Odisha
bank partners such as ICICI Bank Credit Card (including leased on Tuesday. Harsh summers also offer veloped progressive steps, has robust market enablers
Amazon Pay Credit Card), users can avail of extra dis- The joint report by re- the chance to utilise more such as boosting decen- to support decarbonisation
counts, enriching their travel experience even further. search organisation, Insti- clean energy like solar pow- tralised renewable energy in the power sector. all exhibited considerable considerable efforts that
To make this sale even more exciting, every transaction tute for Energy Econom- er. deployment, promoting However, their actual de- progress in certain aspects states are making towards
made during the sale period gives you a chance to win gift ics and Financial Analysis Although, this requires solar pumps for agricultur- carbonisation progress so but also lower performance transitioning to clean elec-
vouchers from select brand partners, including Shoppers (IEEFA), and clean energy preparedness of states to al needs, and enhancing far does not match their in other aspects. tricity and recommends
Stop, GIVA, Nasher Miles, EazyDiner, and Snitch. EaseMy- think tank Ember evaluates transition to clean sourc- storage solutions to ensure strengths in these aspects, For example, Kerala and some key steps to acceler-
Trip has joined hands with several prestigious airline part- the clean electricity tran- es of electricity. “Cyclical more renewable energy in highlighting the importance Punjab need to improve ate the pace of transition.
ners for this sale, American Airlines, Air Astana, Air Mau- sition preparedness at the weather conditions coupled their electricity systems. of performing well in both when it comes to market “We recommend the
ritius, Alliance Air, Air India Express, Akasa Air, Air France, sub-national level. with faster economic activ- But, the transition to dimensions to effectively enablers for decarbonisa- strengthening of state-lev-
KLM, Delta Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Egypt The report’s authors said ity is pushing India’s peak clean electricity is still in achieve decarbonisation tion, while Andhra Pradesh el regulatory ecosystems.
Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf Air, ITA Airways, IndiGo, Kenya Karnataka and Gujarat con- electricity demand higher its infancy in many states. goals,” co-author Neshwin and Maharashtra need to This not only ensures com-
Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, Lot Pol- tinue their strong perfor- every year. “These states should look Rodrigues, Electricity Policy focus on the readiness of pliance but also promotes
ish, Myanmar Airlines, Oman Air, Qantas Airways, Qatar mance across dimensions, While the central gov- to accelerate efforts to ac- Analyst, Ember, said. their power ecosystems, growth, data tracking and
Airways, Singapore, Saudi Airlines, Spice Jet, Turkish Air- effectively integrating re- ernment is taking steps to cess benefits of a transition The report also notes that according to co-author Tan- monitoring, and a condu-
lines, Virgin Atlantic, Vistara and Japan Airlines. newable energy sources integrate more renewable to clean electricity and to state-level decarbonisation ya Rana, Energy Analyst, cive environment for busi-
MIGSUN GROUP PRESENTS LUCKNOW CENTRAL, into their power sectors, energy into the grid, states, ensure they are not left too can be further accelerated IEEFA. ness,” Michael said.
NORTH INDIA'S PREMIER COMMERCIAL HUB! making strong strides in too, need to be prepared to far behind the better-per- by strengthening the power “Despite achieving rela- “India has formulated
LUCKNOW: Migsun Group, one of North India's leading decarbonisation. But states do so. Gauging subnational forming states,” the report’s ecosystem and having right tive success in decarbonis- many central and state-lev-
real estate developers, is offering a once-in-a-lifetime like Jharkhand, Bihar, West progress now requires con- contributing author, Aditya enablers. ing the sector thus far, el policy schemes to rein-
opportunity to own the strategically located hottest com- Bengal and Uttar Pradesh stant monitoring of several Lolla, Asia Programme Di- Some states that are de- states must address defi- force its goal of energy in-
mercial property in Lucknow in its project, Migsun Luc- need to improve. While parameters at the state lev- rector, Ember, said. carbonising well also lack ciencies in readiness and dependence by supporting
know Central. The company is investing Rs. 426 crores these states are in the ear- el. One of the striking find- the right market enablers, market enablers to sustain various reforms and regu-
to develop this project. The RERA approval has been ly stages of their transition, A purely national over- ings from the analysis for others struggle with the their momentum,” says Sa- latory interventions across
obtained. The allotment will held at Hotel Taj Mahal, Luc- they now need to focus on view can often overshad- the 2024 report is that sev- readiness of their pow- loni Sachdeva Michael, En- the value chain. However,
know on 12th May 2024 from 9 am to 6 pm. The com- increasing renewable ener- ow subtle intricacies at the eral states are exhibiting er ecosystems. Kerala, ergy Specialist, India Clean actual implementation has
pany has bought this land from Medanta. Migsun Luc- gy deployment, enhancing state level, which may sty- preparedness to embrace Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Energy Transition, IEEFA. not been adequate and
know Central is a mixed-use development featuring retail short term market partic- mie the country’s electric- electricity transition. They Punjab and Maharashtra The report recognises the transparent,” she added.

RIL, JSW & 5 others Skyscanner reveals Nearly half of India's

spaces and is strategically located at Shaheed Path in
Lucknow. It is slated to emerge as Lucknow's iconic re-

bid for govt incentives to Gen Z ready for first Independent trips abroad
tail project, which will be known for its design values and
brand mix. "Migsun Lucknow Central has all the portent

set up battery mfg units

to emerge as the city's marquee commercial project. Its
strategic location and high net-worth catchment area add
to its strengths. Besides, Lucknow is expanding fast and deep desire for exploration While many time it with a sidered by Gen Z in India
OUR CORRESPONDENT
has emerged as one of North India's prominent cities. The OUR CORRESPONDENT and new adventures (49%). graduation celebration, in In- as they chart their course
project will yield high ROI. This is our second commercial LUCKNOW: Global travel What’s more interesting is dia, it only becomes a reality for their first independent
project in Lucknow. Our first project in the city, Migsun NEW DELHI: The govern- marketplace, Skyscanner, that financial independence after they land their first job. trip without their parents or
Janpath, has been a runaway success," says Yash Mi- ment on Tuesday said it re- has unveiled its latest report is key to Gen Zs, with a whop- In fact, 2 in 3 young Indians guardians. By understand-
glani, Managing Director of Migsun Group. ceived bids from seven com- titled ‘First Trip with Skyscan- ping 81% choosing to plan are diligently saving, while ing these travel aspirations,
UNVEILING VADILAL: ELEVATING LIFE'S panies including Reliance ner’, revealing a strong de- their first overseas adventure only 1 in 5 utilise buy-now- Skyscanner aims to assist
MILESTONES WITH DELICIOUS DELIGHTS! Industries and JSW Neo sire for travel among India's after landing their first job or pay-later options to make young travellers in under-
LUCKNOW: Vadilal Enterprise Limited, India’s leading ice Energy for productionlinked Gen Z (aged 18-25). Nearly receiving their first paycheck. their travel dreams a reality standing their preferences
cream brand announces the launch of its newest sum- incentives to set up battery half (47%) of them are ea- Taking your first overseas sooner. and provide them with valu-
mer campaign, poised to elevate every celebration to its manufacturing facilities of gerly planning leisure trips trip represents a significant The survey results shed able resources to plan ef-
utmost potential. Unveiling a series of three films depict- 10 GWh capacity with an GWh to be awarded,” the abroad, without their parents milestone for numerous light on the travel be- fectively ahead of their trips
ing the significance of celebrations & Vadilal, the brand outlay of Rs 3,620 crore. ministry stated. or guardians, fueled by their young adults worldwide. haviours and factors con- and find the best deals.
uniquely showcases “Har moment ko banaye Kamaal! The other bidders on The ministry had an-
WAAH Vadilal!” The campaign revolves around the cen-
tral theme of 'WAAH', embodying the utter delight experi-
the list included ACME
Cleantech Solutions Private
nounced the re-bidding of
Production Linked Incen-
HDFC Bank Educated over 2 Lakhs citizens BHARATPE LAUNCHES
ALL INONE PAYMENT
enced by consumers when indulging in Vadilal ice creams.
Vadilal captures the essence of celebration through three
Limited, Amara Raja Ad-
vanced Cell Technologies
tives (PLI) for 10 GWh Ad-
vanced Chemistry Cell (ACC)
on Safe Digital Banking practices PAN India DEVICE BHARATPE ONE
NEW DELHI: Indian fintech
poignant films, each showcasing moments of life’s mile- Private Limited, Anvi Power manufacturing. The pre-bid OUR CORRESPONDENT Manish Agrawal, Executive major BharatPe on Tues-
stones that go unnoticed until Vadilal ice cream makes Industries Private Limited, meeting was held on 12 Vice President – Credit Intel- day launched BharatPe
its heartwarming entrance. From the jubilant arrival of a Lucas TVS Limited, and February. The last date for MUMBAI: HDFC Bank as ligence and Control – HDFC One, an allin-one payment
newborn in the hospital to the poignant reunion of a long- Waaree Energies Limited. receiving applications was a part of digital banking Bank said, “Cybercrime is a product that integrates
lost son in India, and the groundbreaking news of a Mars The bids for manufacturing April 22 and the technical awareness drive, conducted serious threat to individuals POS (point of sale), QR
landing in the newsroom, Vadilal's presence elevates facilities with a cumulative bids were opened on Tues- a series of secure banking and organisations alike. Lack code, and speaker into one
these moments into indelible celebrations. The films inge- capacity of 70 GWh came in day. In May 2021, the Union workshops pan India. The of awareness causes people device. The company in
niously convey Vadilal's essence by humorously echoing response to a global tender Cabinet had approved the Bank organized over 16,600 to fall for such cyber frauds. a statement said it plans
the central themes, where protagonists only fully react to issued by the Heavy Indus- PLI scheme for the National workshops sensitizing over Therefore, it is essential to to launch the product in
the news once Vadilal ice cream is served, emphasizing tries Ministry on January 24 Programme on ACC battery 2,00,224 citizens on safe create awareness among about 100 cities in the first
the joyous association with ice cream as the core ingredi- this year. storage with an outlay of Rs digital banking practices. the citizens so that they do phase. It will further scale
ent. In a mere fortnight, two out of three campaign films “The scheme received 18,100 crore. The scheme These workshops were not share confidential bank- it to around 450 cities over
have already graced the screens, captivating audiences an overwhelming response aims to achieve domestic aimed at educating school and videos which helped par- ing data or click on unverified the course of the next 6
with their ingenuity and message. Yet, the thrill continues from industry as bids re- manufacturing capacity of and college students, law en- ticipants understand various links. The objective of these months. “Equipped with
to mount as the eagerly awaited third film is poised for ceived is 7 times the man- 50 Giga Watt hours (GWh) forcement agencies, senior Modus Operandi used by workshops is to educate par- a high-definition touch-
release in the forthcoming week, promising heightened ufacturing capacity of 10 of battery storage. citizens, self-help groups, fraudsters and tips on how to ticipants on various modus screen display, 4G and Wi-
entertainment and engagement for consumers.
SBI Card launches SBI Card customers and employees.
Through these interactive
stay safe from such frauds.
HDFC Bank has been con-
operandi used by fraudsters
and the secure banking prac-
Fi connectivity, and pow-
ered by the latest Android
‘AUCTION ROUTE FOR SPECTRUM WILL CONTINUE’
NEW DELHI: The government will continue to auction tele- MILES for Travel enthusiasts sessions, participants gained
valuable insights on safe dig-
ducting Cyber Fraud Aware-
ness Workshops under the
tices that they need to follow
so that they do not become
operating system.

com spectrum, and the administrative allocation route will OUR CORRESPONDENT ital banking practices so that Secure Banking initiative at victims of such online frauds.
be used sparingly, only in those cases where it is techni- they don’t fall prey to cyber various locations across the These awareness workshops
cally not feasible to do so or for areas that are strategic LUCKNOW: SBI Card, India’s largest pure-play credit card frauds. country over the past four are in line with HDFC Bank’s
in nature, sources said. The DoT is gearing up to hold the issuer, has launched three variants of its first travel-fo- The workshops included years. philosophy and core value
next round of spectrum auction on June 6 for eight spec- cused core credit card, ‘SBI Card MILES’, in Mumbai to- real life examples, stories Commenting on this Mr. i.e. Customer Focus.”

Agri exports fall 9% to $43.7

trum bands (800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz, day. The card is aimed at bringing holistic travel benefits
2,300 MHz, 2,500 MHz, 3,300 MHz, and 26 GHz) meant for to travellers of all kinds – travel aspirers to frequent fliers
mobile phone services at a base price of about Rs 96,317 to travel aficionados. SBI Card MILES offers compelling
crore. The spectrum will be assigned for 20 years and suc-
cessful bidders will be allowed to make payments in 20
features that include conversion of Travel Credits to Air
Miles and Hotel Points, accelerated rewards on EVERY
billion during April-February FY2023-24
equal annual instalments in the coming mega auction. travel book- OUR CORRESPONDENT showed that exports of the increased from $4.2 billion
ing, and airport 719 scheduled agri prod- in April-February 2022-23
lounge access NEW DELHI: The country’s ucts in the APEDA basket to $5.2 billion in April-Febru-
among others. agriculture exports declined declined by 6.85 per cent ary 2023-24 in value terms,
Empowering by 8.8 per cent to $43.7 to 22.4 billion during the registering a growth of 22
cardholders with billion during April-February 11-month period of the last per cent.
absolute choice period of 2023-24 fiscal due fiscal as against $24 billion The official also said that
of redemption, to factors like the Red Sea in April-February 2022-23. there has not been any vis-
the card partners crisis, RussiaUkraine war, The export ban and restric- ible impact of Israel-Iran
over 20 airline and domestic restrictions tions on commodities like war on exports as it is an
and hotel brands including Air Vistara, Air India, Spice- imposed on critical items rice, wheat, sugar and on- evolving situation, “but we
jet, Air France-KLM, Etihad Airways, Air Canada, Thai Air- like rice, wheat, sugar and ion have hit agri exports of are monitoring the situation.
ways, Qantas Airways, ITC Hotels, IHG Hotels & Resorts, onion. about $5-6 billion in the last There are no major push
and Accor among others. According to the data of fiscal, an official said. backs as of now”.
According to Mr. Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman, State the Commerce Ministry, the However, among 24 prin- The official said that
Bank of India, “The strong economic growth and robust exports stood at $47.9 bil- cipal commodities (in APE- growth is noted last fiscal
consumption landscape has accentuated India’s position lion in April-February 2022- DA basket), 17 have record- in export of Indian alcohol-
in the world. Even in travel sector, today, India is consid- 23. India’s agricultural GDP ed positive growth during ic beverages amid good
ered amongst the key source markets for outbound trav- also witnessed a significant the period and that included growth in shipments of
el in many countries including those in Asia and Europe. deceleration, growing by fresh fruit, buffalo meat, high-end Indian brands. The
I congratulate SBI Card on the launch of SBI Card MILES, only 0.7 per cent in 2023- processed vegetables, bas- world has imported alcohol-
a strong product that will redefine the travel experiences 24, down from 4.7 per cent mati rice and banana. The ic beverages worth $113.66
for Indian consumers.” in 2022-23. The data also exports of basmati rice have billion in 2022.
4 Lucknow, Thursday, 25 April 2024
CONTINUES ASSAULT ON CONG OVER ALLEGED REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH PLAN
Congress tried to give reservation EC sources say complaint
for Muslims from Dalit quota: PM
OUR CORRESPONDENT
JAIPUR: Even as his remarks
on “redistribution of wealth’’
at an election rally in Rajas-
than whipped up a political
storm and outrage, Prime
Minister Narendra contin-
ued to target the Congress,
unsparing in his sharp criti-
cism of the main Opposition
party.
On Tuesday, PM Modi
said the Congress tried to
extend reservation on the
basis of religion and give it
to Muslims, and once again
accused the party of hatch-
ing a “deep conspiracy” to
snatch people’s wealth and
distribute it among “select”
people.
PM Modi, the star cam-
paigner of the BJP, also
charged that it is difficult to
follow one’s faith under the
Congress and that even lis-
tening to Hanuman Chalisa
becomes a crime under that
party’s rule.
His remarks come on a
day when the country is cel-
ebrating Hanuman Jayan-
ti. Addressing an election
rally in Tonk, PM Modi said
as soon as the Congress
formed the government at
the Centre in 2004, one of
its first tasks was to reduce
the SC/ST reservation in
Andhra Pradesh and give it
to Muslims.
“Modi is giving you a guar-
antee with an open heart
that reservation for Dalits
‘India ranks 4th globally in military expenditure’ Court directs AIIMS to constitute
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: In 2023, In-
dia ranked as the world’s
fourth-highest military
spender, allocating $83.6
billion to its defence bud-
get, trailing only the United
States, China, and Russia.
This was highlighted in a
report by the Stockholm In-
ternational Peace Research
Institute (SIPRI), which also
noted a global increase in
military spending due to the
ongoing conflict in Ukraine
and rising geopolitical ten-
sions across Asia, Oceania,
and the Middle East.
The report observed that
military spending rose
across all regions, with
significant hikes in Eu-
rope, Asia, Oceania, and
the Middle East. This up-
tick in expenditure comes
against the backdrop of
‘Intense heatwave sweeps E.India, spreads to South’
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: In 2023, In-
dia ranked as the world’s
fourth-highest military
spender, allocating $83.6
billion to its defence bud-
get, trailing only the United
States, China, and Russia.
This was highlighted in a
report by the Stockholm In-
ternational Peace Research
Institute (SIPRI), which also
noted a global increase in
military spending due to the
ongoing conflict in Ukraine
and rising geopolitical ten-
sions across Asia, Oceania,
and the Middle East. The re-
port observed that military
spending rose across all re-
gions, with significant hikes
in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and
SC to pronounce today directions on pleas for cross-verification of votes
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: The Supreme
Court is expected to deliver
a verdict on Wednesday re-
garding a series of petitions
that demand a thorough
cross-check of votes cast
Cong may take legal route;
under consideration
and backward tribals will
neither end nor will it be al-
lowed to be divided in the
name of religion,” he said.
Asserting that he under-
stands the Constitution,
Modi said he is dedicated
to the Constitution and is a
person who worships B R
Ambedkar. Amid a row over
his ‘redistribution of wealth’
remarks, the Prime Minister
again charged that the Con-
gress will snatch people’s
wealth and distribute it to
select people.
Modi said when the BJP
government in Karnataka
got an opportunity, the first
thing it did was to abolish
the Muslim quota which
was created by snatching
it from ST and SC. He said
the constitutional limit for
reservation was ending in
2020 and he had extended
the reservation of Dalits and
tribals for another 10 years.
The Congress and INDI
Alliance, Modi said, were
peeved after he exposed
their vote bank and ap-
rise since 2014. The growth medical board to examine Kejriwal
vious year and a 44 per cent
in spending was primarily
various global conflicts, in-
cluding those involving Is-
rael-Hamas and Iran-Israel,
as well as instability in the
Red Sea region.
According to SIPRI, 2023
marked the ninth consecu-
tive year of increased glob-
al military spending, which
surged by 6.8 per cent to
$2443 billion—the sharp-
est rise since 2009 and the
highest amount recorded
by the institute. The glob-
the Middle East.
This uptick in expenditure
comes against the backdrop
of various global conflicts, in-
cluding those involving Isra-
el-Hamas and Iran-Israel, as
well as instability in the Red
Sea region.
According to SIPRI, 2023
marked the ninth consecu-
via Electronic Voting Ma-
chines (EVMs) against the
Voter Verifiable Paper Audit
Trail (VVPAT) records. VVPAT
serves as an independent
system for voters to confirm
that their votes are accurate-
ly recorded. Justices Sanjiv
peasement politics in his re-
cent address in Rajasthan’s
Banswara.
“I have put forth the truth
before the country that
the Congress is hatching a
deep conspiracy to snatch
your wealth and distribute it
among ‘select’ people,” he
said.
He said when he exposed
the vote bank politics of
Congress, it angered the
Congress and its INDI Al-
liance so much that they
have started abusing him
everywhere.
Why is the Congress
scared of the truth and hid-
ing its policies, he asked.
“You have made the policy
and taken the decision and
when Modi exposed the se-
cret and your hidden agen-
da came out, you are trem-
bling,” he said.
The Prime Minister
charged that the Congress
is stuck in the quagmire of
its vote bank and does not
care about the Constitution.
“It is written in their manifes-
al military burden, which
measures military spend-
ing against global GDP,
rose to 2.3 per cent.
Furthermore, the aver-
age military spending as a
percentage of government
expenditure increased to
6.9 per cent, and per capita
military spending reached
$306, the highest since
1990. India’s defence ex-
penditure saw a 4.2 per
cent increase from the pre-
tive year of increased glob-
al military spending, which
surged by 6.8 per cent to
$2443 billion—the sharp-
est rise since 2009 and the
highest amount recorded
by the institute. The glob-
al military burden, which
measures military spending
against global GDP, rose to
Khanna and Dipankar Dat-
ta, who are presiding over
the case, will announce the
court’s decision, which was
previously deferred on April
18.
The court emphasised
the critical nature of voter
to that they will survey the
wealth.
Their leader had said in a
speech that X-ray of wealth
will be done. This means
that if something is kept in a
box or hidden in a wall, it will
be searched through X-ray.
Then they will capture all
your property which is more
than required and then dis-
tribute it among the people,”
he said.
At a rally in Rajasthan on
Sunday, Modi had said that
if the Congress came to
power, it would redistribute
the wealth of people to “infil-
trators” and those who have
more children, and cited for-
mer PM Manmohan Singh’s
remark that the minority
community had the first
claim on the country’s re-
sources. He said during the
Congress rule in Rajasthan,
those who pelted stones
on Ram Navmi procession
were given protection and
restrictions were imposed
on such processions.
However, after the forma-
tion of the BJP government
in the state, no one has the
courage to question faith.
In a rally at Tonk, PM Modi
said the Congress has tried
to extend reservation on the
basis of religion and give it
to Muslims, and accused
the party again of hatching a
“deep conspiracy” to snatch
people’s wealth and dis-
tribute it among a “select”
group.
driven by rising person-
nel and operational costs,
which constituted nearly 80
per cent of the total military
budget.
This aligns with India’s
focus on enhancing the op-
erational readiness of its
armed forces amidst on-
going tensions with neigh-
bouring countries. Mean-
while, capital investment
in military procurement re-
mained stable at about 22
per cent of the budget.
Notably, 75 per cent of
India’s capital outlays were
directed towards domesti-
cally produced equipment,
marking the highest level of
domestic procurement and
reflecting the nation’s aim
to achieve self-reliance in
arms production.
2.3 per cent.
Furthermore, the average
military spending as a per-
centage of government ex-
penditure increased to 6.9
per cent, and per capita mili-
tary spending reached $306,
the highest since 1990. In-
dia’s defence expenditure
saw a 4.2 per cent increase
from the previous year and a
44 per cent rise since 2014.
The growth in spending
was primarily driven by rising
personnel and operation-
al costs, which constituted
nearly 80 per cent of the
total military budget. This
aligns with India’s focus on
enhancing the operational
readiness of its armed forc-
es amidst ongoing tensions
with neighbouring countries.
confidence in the electoral
process during the hearings.
It advised the petitioners,
who had proposed a return
to paper ballots, to trust
the reliability of EVMs and
acknowledge the Election
Commission’s effort.
OUR CORRESPONDENT
GUWAHATI: As the political
storm over Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s remarks at
a rally in Rajasthan on “re-
distribution of wealth’’ refus-
es to settle down, the Con-
gress spokesperson Supriya
Shrinate said on Tuesday
that the party is exploring le-
gal remedies as the Election
Commission is not acting on
the complaint against PM
Modi.
However, EC sources have
said that the Commission
has received a complaint
against the Prime Minister’s
controversial ‘infiltrators’ re-
mark and the matter is un-
der consideration. Shrinate
said institutions like the EC
need to have the complete
faith of the people and they
should work to restore that
trust if it is shaken.
“Prime Minister Narendra
Modi made hate speeches
in Rajasthan. My colleagues
met the EC on Monday and
we have pressed charges
against him.
As they are not acting
upon our complaint, we are
looking at legal remedies,”
she told mediapersons.
The Congress on Monday
moved the EC seeking “ap-
propriate action” against
Modi for his ‘redistribution
of wealth’ remarks at a poll
rally in Rajasthan, alleging
that the comments were “di-
visive”, “malicious” and tar-
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court
on Monday instructed the
All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS) to form
a medical board to assess
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriw-
al’s health, specifically to de-
termine his need for insulin
to manage his diabetes.
The court also noted dis-
crepancies between Kejri-
wal’s homecooked meals
and his doctor’s dietary
recommendations. Reject-
ing Kejriwal’s request for a
video consultation with his
physician alongside his wife,
Special Judge Kaveri Bawe-
ja mandated the provision
of all essential medical care
for Kejriwal, who is currently
detained in connection with
a money laundering case
tied to the purported Delhi
liquor scam. The AIIMS di-
rector has been ordered to
establish a medical board,
including an endocrinologist
or diabetologist, to evaluate
Kejriwal’s condition. This
board will decide on the ne-
cessity of insulin and outline
Over 2,000 criminal
cases against MPs, MLAs
resolved in 2023: SC told
OUR CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI: In 2023, spe-
cial courts dedicated to han-
dling criminal cases involving
Members of Parliament (MP)
and Members of Legislative
Assembly (MLA) resolved
over 2,000 cases, according
to a report submitted to the
Supreme Court.
Senior advocate Vijay
Hansaria, serving as amic-
us curiae in a public interest
litigation (PIL) for the swift
resolution of criminal cases
against MPs and MLAs, sub-
mitted an affidavit stating
the need for additional direc-
geted a particular religious
community.
On Sunday, the Prime Min-
ister triggered a political row
by claiming that the Con-
gress manifesto promised
“redistribution” of wealth
after conducting a survey.
“We hope that it will be a
free and fair election. But we
see little evidence of that,”
Shrinate said, asserting that
the less said about the EC’s
actions against the BJP, the
better.
On the proper function-
ing of EVMs, Shrinate said:
“Even if one person says his
or her vote didn’t go where
it was intended, it is the re-
sponsibility of institutions
like the EC to restore peo-
ple’s faith.” She pointed out
that Opposition parties have
been pressing for 100 per
cent VVPAT counting, but
the EC has not accepted it.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the
Congress lodged a griev-
ance with the Election Com-
mission, accusing the BJP
of creating unrest and con-
a suitable diet and exercise
regimen, adhering strictly
to the medical board’s diet
plan.
The court’s decision came
after Kejriwal’s lawyer made
a casual comment about
the politician’s diet, to which
the judge clarified that
mushrooms, not mangoes,
were part of the prescribed
diet by Kejriwal’s doctor.
The judge expressed con-
fusion over why Kejriwal’s
family sent food items con-
trary to his medical diet,
such as mangoes, sweets,
and other items. The court
emphasised that jail author-
ities are equipped to provide
necessary healthcare and
that Kejriwal should not
receive preferential treat-
tives to ensure the rapid con-
clusion of ongoing trials and
investigations.
This call for action is under-
scored by the fact that ap-
proximately 501 candidates
facing criminal charges are
competing in the initial two
phases of the Lok Sabha
elections.
The affidavit cites a study
by the ‘Association of Dem-
ocratic Reforms’ covering
the first and second phases
of the 2024 Lok Sabha elec-
tions, revealing that out of
2,810 candidates, 501 (18
per cent) have criminal alle-
gations against them.
Lucknow News (English Daily)
fusion among the working
professionals and middle
class. This was in response
to misrepresentations of Ra-
hul Gandhi’s statements on
societal equitable growth.
Praveen Chakravarty, leader
of the All India Profession-
als’ Congress, stated that
the BJP is intentionally caus-
ing panic and confusion
through false information.
He highlighted that during
the manifesto release in Hy-
derabad on April 6, 2024,
Rahul Gandhi emphasised
the party’s dedication to
economic and social fair-
ness for a more balanced
societal development.
Chakravarty denounced
the distortion of this mes-
sage, labelling it as “fake
news” and demanded the
BJP be held accountable for
disseminating false claims
about the Congress’ mani-
festo, including allegations
of wealth redistribution
upon gaining power. Further-
more, Chakravarty reported
an individual to the EC
ment different from other
inmates. The judge further
stated that while Tihar Jail
authorities are primarily
responsible for Kejriwal’s
health, they should consult
the AIIMS medical board for
specialised advice.
The board is also tasked
with submitting a report on
Kejriwal’s insulin require-
ments and dietary needs.
Lastly, the judge criticised
the jail authorities for not ex-
plaining why non-prescribed
food items were allowed to
reach Kejriwal and for not re-
porting the dietary non-com-
pliance to the court. The
judge also noted the lack of
information on how much of
the home-cooked food Kejri-
wal actually consumed.
DELVING INTO EAST
DELHI’S SOCIO-
POLITICAL FABRIC AND
CASTE DYNAMICS
NEW DELHI: The East Del-
hi Lok Sabha constituency,
a bustling political arena
within the national Capi-
tal, has always been a fo-
cal point during elections.
With its diverse population
and complex sociopolitical
dynamics, it offers a fas-
cinating glimpse into the
intricate caste equations
that often shape electoral
outcomes. A closer exam-
ination of the caste demo-
graphics reveals a mosaic
of identities, each with its
share of influence. Among
them, Muslims and Sched-
uled Castes (SC) emerge
as significant segments,
constituting 15.09 percent.
DDA: REMOVE WASTE,
DEBRIS FROM YAMUNA
FLOODPLAIN
NEW DELHI: The DDA has
issued notices to agen-
cies, asking those to re-
move waste and debris
accumulated during con-
struction on the Yamuna
floodplain by the end of
June, it said in a statement
on Tuesday. According to
the land owning agency,
the notice is in compliance
with directions of the Delhi
High Court issued on April
8. The notices were issued
to agencies, including the
National Highways Author-
ity of India, Public Works
Department, National
Capital Region Transport
Corporation, Delhi Metro
Rail Corporation, and the
Delhi Jal Board, to ensure
removal of waste and de-
bris accumulated during
the construction of bridg-
es, railway lines, and re-
gional railway networks,
among others, on the Ya-
muna floodplain by June
30, the Delhi Development
Authority (DDA) statement
said. To ensure the high
court orders are complied
with in letter and spirit, in
case of any default from
any recognisable stake-
holders, the DDA will un-
dertake the task of clean-
ing of such construction
waste and debris by itself
imposing suitable cost on
the defaulter(s), it stated.
OFFICIALS: EVM
RANDOMISATION
CONDUCTED IN 7 LS
CONSTITUENCIES
NEW DELHI: The first
randomisation of EVMs/
VVPATs was carried out
across Delhi’s seven Lok
Sabha constituencies by
magistrates of the 11 reve-
nue districts, officials said
on Tuesday. Political par-
ties were requested to de-
pute their representatives
to witness the process,
they said. “The process of
the first randomisation of
EVMs is being done upon
the directions of the chief
electoral officer, Delhi, in
pursuance of the guide-
lines of the Election Com-
mission of India,” an offi-
cial said. Delhi will go to
polls on May 25.
CENTRE PLANS
REPEAT OF
CHANDIGARH
‘CHEATING’ IN
MAYORAL POLLS: AAP
GOVT
NEW DELHI: The AAP gov-
ernment in Delhi on Tues-
day alleged the BJP-ruled
Centre wants to repeat in
MCD the “cheating” they
attempted in Chandigarh
Mayoral polls. The charge
came after Delhi Urban De-
velopment Minister Sau-
rabh Bharadwaj wrote to
Lieutenant Governor V K
Saxena, alleging the chief
secretary had bypassed
him and sent a file related
to the appointment of a
presiding officer for Mu-
nicipal Corporation of Del-
hi (MCD) mayoral polls to
the L-G office directly. Bha-
radwaj, in his letter to Sax-
ena, requested the L-G to
return the file to the chief
secretary with an instruc-
tion that it should be re-
routed through the Urban
Development minister.
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